Cotton gin



Sept. 7, 1943. c. R. BERRY 2,328,774

COTTON GIN Filed July 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ciwles B331 INVENTOR ATTOR N EY Patented Sept. 7, 1943 i-ran starts r'r NT OFFICE j v COTTON. GIN

7 Charles R. Berry, Greenville, Miss, assignor of one-third to Lyne S. Gamble, Grecnville, Miss, and one-third to Rabun Jones, Leland,'Miss.

Application July 29, 1940, Serial No. 348,231

' 3 Claims. (01. 19-48) Ihe preSent invention relates generally to the ginning of cotton and has for its primary object the'provision of a method and apparatus whereby cotton maybe ginned mor rapidly, effectively and with less trouble than it is possibl to do with the methods and gins now commonly in use.

It is a well known fact that in the conventional saw tooth gin, the gin saws extend into a roll box in which the cotton c'ongests, and engage the lower part of the cotton roll in the box, causing the cotton to continually turn in the box so that the contact of the teeth of the saws with the cotton is a more or less haphazard action since the seeds are continually milling around in thebox. The operation is slow and, to this extent at least, is far from an efiicient action. I

It is among the primary objects of the. present invention to provide for rapid efficient action more directlyon the cotton bolls, rather'than a mass of congested cotton, and to bring about elimination of the'seeds immediately upon removal of cotton therefrom in a manner substantially more nearly positive, and with less milling around in thecotton, than in the conventional gin and cotton ginning methods now employed.

It is a further object to provide a method of ginning cotton which will be rapid and efficient and which will permit of effective use of a gin cylinder of either the saw or card cloth type and adapt itself to various means for removing the cotton from the gin cylinder.

With these and variousother objects in mind, the invention resides in the method and apparatus to be now described in detail in a form which is at present deemed best suited to the use thereof for the practical application of the invention, this description referring to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which, W i 1 Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely through the apparatus of the invention for the thereof.

Figure 2 is a topplan view thereof, indicating its indeterminate length and the connections whereby its various rotating parts are actuated, and

Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional viewstaken respectively on lines 3-t and 4& of-Figur 1. 1'

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention contemplatesthe elimination of the usual cotton roll box into which the toothed saws of the saw cylinderproject, andthe direct regulated e fi i i on w lyihroueh a feed'box 0 eificient carrying out of th method into the upper channel or passag II of' an air and cotton circulating casing I2 presenting a lower similar channel or passage I3, a curved connecting channel or passage I4 along one side and a substantially circular chamber I 5 connecting the upper andlower passages II and I 2 along the other side.

The above mentioned channels or passages are formed within the air and cotton circulating -casing I2 which, for this purpose, is shown asconsisting of an inner shell I6 and an outer shell Il in such spaced relation that the channels or pas sages I I, I3 and I4 between the shells areof substantiallysimilar width throughout the entire length'of the casing which is, ofcoursa'the' full length of' the feed box I0. Circulation of the cotton is thus provided for transversely within the casing between the inner and outer shells.

v To properly form the circular chamber l5 the curved forward side of the outer shell IT is opposed'by the'oppositely curved adjacent side of the inner shell I6. Within this chamberis a propelling cylinder I3 having peripherally o-utstan ing and preferably flexible cotton propelling blades Hi. This cylinder is mounted on a longi: tudinal shaft 28, Whose ends are journalled in bearings 25, and whose rotation is clockwise as viewed in Figure 1 so that cotton fed in properly regulated quantities through feed box Ill into are similarly curved so that the casing as a whole;

with orwithout a front plate or apron 22, will present-a symmetrical appearance.

' In the lower forward portion of the outer shell I! is formed a longitudinally slotted throat 23,

at one side of which an adjustable throat plate 24 is mounted so as to effectively provide for any slight adjustment necessary to conform to the upper peripheral portion of the ginning cylinder 25 which projects through the throat into the lower channel or passage I3 immediately at the rear of the propeller or cotton projector I8.

I The throat plate 24 may be adiusted'by means of a threaded forwardly extending stem 26 locked by nuts 21 through the frontwall or apron 22.

The ginning cylin-der 25 is to be understood as either a saw cylinder or a card cloth cylinder. In the present instance it is shown as a clock-wise rotating card cloth cylinder as viewed in Figure 1 and thus the upper portion, which projects into the channel or passage I3, moves forwardly and oppositely to the rearwardly moving lower portion of the propeller E8. The shaft 28 of this cylinder may be mounted in bearings 29 and have a pulley; 30 at one end substantially-below a pulley 3! on the shaft 20 of the propeller [8. It

will be noted that the relative sizes of the pulleys 30 and 3! provide for relative speedier rotation of the propeller It as compared to the ginning? cylinder 25. p v

There is shown a doflen. in the nature of -a, brush cylinder 32, below andlrearwardlyof, the ginning cylinder 25, for removing cotton there-- from within the suction mouth 3% of a suction lint flue 34. Brush cylinder 32 is shownfmounted on a shaft 35 in bearings 3! having a pulley am of less diameter than; the: ginning cylinder pulley: 30: and is rotated atv greater speed: than said cylinder in a; counter-clockwise; direction as viewed-ginli igurel; v

Foo the above purpose a. belt; dltmaybe: trained around a. lowerdriving, pulley; as receiving Ito-- tation' through its shaft 40, in bearingsdfli from any suitable sourceoff power. The belt 3% has runs oneof which: extends directly to and around the propeller pulley: 35k and the other of which is: trained upwardly fromthe driving pulley 3 9 alternately over brush cylinder' pulley 36 and beneath: ginning cylinder pulley 3ft to thus bring aboutrotation or these several parts: in the desirem relativedirections, thongh it isto-be una denstood the invention is not confined: tothese particular; iffpreferable. driving connections.-

At therearside of the casing-l1 where the lower channel or passage t3 merges=into-the lower; po r-tionof -the curved= side channel or passage M, these-passages communicate with the upper larger mouth portion of a seed outlet funnel 421 Thi funnel is: in communication at its lower smaller end with a seeddischarge box '3 which in turn discharges intoa discharge trough M having therein: a seed discharge conveyor screw Itwill be noted at this point that the cotton feed box l0 andthe seed discharge box 43 have therein rotating valve members respectively-indicated at 4'5 and H the form-er being driven by abeltflffrom: the propeller shaft and the lattel, by." a belt 492 from the former. The con-- veyor screw li maybe driven by a belt- 5ll from the outlet valve 41.

In the upper mouth of the seed di'scharge funneli is a. seed com-10 51, preferably curvedand adiustabl'y' supported at its l'owe-r forward edge, as for instance by a rotatabl'y ad iustabl'e rod 52, so thatxits: upper rear end may be nositiorved more or less in. the cunved rear channel 'or passage W to provide for passageof the seed through the comb asmapid-ljv asitheyv are denude'd of Cotton;

The valves 85 and substantially close the interior of the: casing: it" although the cotton which: enters; through: valve 45 carries some entrained ain intothelcasi-ng; thus making. combined air: and: channels: orpassages" Hi, [31 and L42 in which the cotton; bolls, by reason: of the fureefnl projection. thereof the lower channeli I3 by. the propeller I83 move closely along the inner surface; oi the outer; shell. II in the air stream.. The cylinder operates-closely" adjacentxtmthepomtof: propulsionpf the cotton modithusuaots om theacotton; at its: point .or greatest speed and power of movement so that as it strips the cotton from the seed the latter are projected beyond the ginning member and thus present no interference to its continuous action on the cotton. The cotton, as it outlets from the casing through valve 41, carries some entrained air with it, about in the same proportion i that air enters with cotton. through. valve 46, so there is at all times sufficient air in: the casing to circuit with the cotton around the propeller l8. In addition it is obvious that air may enter, as well as escape, through the slotted throat 23 adjacent the ginning cylinder 25.

The seeds, if sufficiently denuded of cotton to pass, through the comb 5|, will fall into the seed outlet funnel, 42,vand if not they will continue in the circuit to again pass the ginning member. The

feed ot cotton is of course regulated so as to presentin the circulating stream only such an 0 amount of seed cotton as can be effectively handl'edrin the manner; described.

Aiterpassing: the; rotary ginning membnrg. the seed: cotton will: lose: some of: the; momentum: initialiyimparted: by; the propellerand hence upon impact: with thecombiirh'. suchiseedsasl are reacht to pass there-through, fall; out/1 ofi the air: stream in which they. otherwise fiovvraronnd the: circuit of passages for repeated. action.

In: view. of; the above. it may? bedesirable to. bypass some of the circulating air? tol lessen its effect-on the cotton; flowing around therea-r' side of the casing and: to: this: end? the inner shell l3 may be providediwith-alcurwied conduit excomnesting the lower passage F3 with the upper so that theforward edge of the plate-maybe adjustablypositioned to either" close off, the by;

pass or more or less openthe same for: th

by-passing of air.

A's seenin Figure 3,, the rodi52mayhavean angular, end LSB'eXternalTyof 'oneend of the casing.

- foradjustmentlirratoothedquadrant 5?, for regn.-'

Similarly, as seen in) Figuree, the rod; 55 may have an angular end 58; externally of thesame end of the casing for adjustment. in a:. toothed:

the valve plate 54 of: the airby-pass.

Crloviouely:many of; the structural parts: of; theigin asthus described, and clearly' showm. may-be.- modified as well as replaced by other and difliernnrt;

v parts designed. to: bring about substantially the same operations and: resnlts,famd" car-ryout: the the cuitous path for the travel of seed cotton loosely in an air stream; valved means for feeding" seed 7 cotton into'sai'd circuit; av'alved outlet for seed; means adjacent said outlet to divert' seed t'herein" from the circuit; a rotary toothed member protrudihginto the circuit for removing lint cotton fromthe-seed anda-blowerlocated atone point in the circuit for causing continuous travel 'of lating the effective position ofvthe, comb, 5].,

quadrant 59s to regulate-the effectivepositionv oiseed cotton looselyan air stream; said blower being adjacent to the lint removing means and remote from the seed diverting means.

2. In a cotton gin, means forming a circuitous path for seed cotton and having inner and outer Walls, means in said circuit for moving therein air and cotton in a manner to cause the cotton to flow along the outer'wall, valved means communicating through the inner wall for by-passing air from one portion of the circuit to another, a rotary toothed lint removing member protruding into the circuit through the outer Wall at a point adjacent to said cotton moving means, and means for diverting seed from the circuit at a point remote from said cotton moving means.

3. In a cotton gin, means forming a circuitous path having inner and outer walls; for the passage of seed cotton, valved means for continuously feeding cotton in regulated quantity into said circuit, means for forcibly moving air and cotton in the circuit in a manner to cause the cotton to flow along the outer Wall for a substantial portion of its circuit travel, means pro- CHARLES R. BERRY. 

